Caltrain Ridership on the Rise: Report

An increased number of people appear to be hopping on Caltrain during their commutes, according to a report. Anser Hassan reports.

(Published Monday, March 5, 2018)

An increased number of people appear to be hopping on Caltrain during their commutes, according to a report.

The San Mateo Daily Journal reported that the transportation agency's average weekly ridership numbers jumped 3.2 percent between January 2017 and January 2018. Total far box revenue also increased by about $1 million during that time frame.

Caltrain ridership has been growing at a steady pace since 2010 despite a slight drop-off last year, according to the report.

But that growth in ridership also means overcrowding on trains. As a result, Caltrain is proposing running an extra train during peak commute hours, but that is not likely to happen for another four years when Caltrain converts its fleet to electric trains, according to the report.

Caltrain may also start using eight-car trains when the transportation agency switches to electric power, but that would require stations to extend platforms to make room for the longer trains, according to the report.

The proposed changes "would depend on additional grant funding," according to the San Mateo Daily Journal.

Caltrain also said it has seen a drop in shuttle ridership, the report indicated. A meeting slated for Mar. 15 is expected to address the fate of some shuttle services.